Harvesting brineshrimp? Help

[Ma xiong]

How dyou guys harvest brineshrimp to feed betta fry? I heard the salt is not good for the fry? Is it harmful? Im not breeding yet still researching

[EvilVOG]

first you turn off the aeration and focus a light at the bottom of your hatchery. after about 15-20 minutes drain the BBS that should be gathered near the light into a coffee filter, and then once that has drained rinse them with tap water, and again allow to drain. Then dip the filter into the water and gently shake to release the bbs into the water.

At least that's how i did it. They make a net that has smaller openings for use with bbs, i don't have one.

[jeffegg2]

1. Turn off air.
2. Wait 5 min.
3. set up either brine shrimp net over lip of brine culture, or a small cup.
4. take a turkey baster and suck some of the live brine out of the bottom.
5. put in net, or cup.
6. if in net, then invert net into small cup of fresh water.
7. if in cup, pour cup into net. Then invert net into small cup of fresh water.
8. either use the turkey baster to squirt the bbs/freshwater mix into the spawn tank, or just pour from cup.

If you wish, you can carefully rinse the bbs under water when in net.

Keep them fat and happy!!!

Jeff.

[Ma xiong]

Ok thankyou very much for that and juat one last question, how old do the baby bettas have to be inorder to breed?

[Junglist]

After you turned it off wait a few minutes you see layers

Top Layer- Empty shells
Mid Layer- Water
Bottom Layer- Brine Shrimp (Orange Layer) UnHatched (Very bottom dark layer)

Breeding age that I normally do is 7+months

[jeffegg2]

Originally Posted by Ma xiong

Ok thankyou very much for that and juat one last question, how old do the baby bettas have to be inorder to breed?

I think Betta's have to be at least 3 months old to breed. At that point they are no longer babies.

Jeff.

[jeffegg2]

Also: It takes from 12 to 18 hours for the BBS to hatch. After about another day the culture is done and you can either freeze the bbs, or just pour them down the drain and start anew... You should have at least two cultures going and alternate them. Start one when you are harvesting the other.

Jeff.

[Junglist]

Originally Posted by jeffegg2

I think Betta's have to be at least 3 months old to breed. At that point they are no longer babies.

Jeff.

I think 3 months is still considered a juvenile don't you think Jeff, IMO I think bettas between 3-5 months are juveniles since they are not fully up on size and maturity

[jeffegg2]

Originally Posted by Junglist

I think 3 months is still considered a juvenile don't you think Jeff, IMO I think bettas between 3-5 months are juveniles since they are not fully up on size and maturity

But he didn't ask when they are full size and mature. He asked how old they need to be to breed....

Jeff.

[Curlyfatbottom]

Age dont really matter to me
I choose size
Female 3/4-full grown size(between 3-7 month)
Male I dont breed them until they max out on size(3.5-7 month)
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